(This review covers both seasons of Jigoku Shoujo, specially because the second season is a direct continuation of the first)

Preview

Legend says that those who bear a great hatred and revenge will, if access the 'Hell Correspondence' site exactly at midnight will be able to post a revenge request. If accepted, Jigoku Shoujo will send the recipient of your hatred straight to Hell, but as a consequence, for choosing revenge, you will also be sent to hell when you die.

Pacing

First warning: Jigoku Shoujo is not a horror thriller, it's all about human nature and social criticism by showing how hate and lack of understanding between people can lead to tragedy. Do not watch it expecting Horror, but a thought-provoking detailed thriller.

Jigoku Shoujo is a fantastic work about human nature, and shows us a perfect allegory about how violence can cause even more violence. As each character suffer hell out from another evil person to the extent they cannot bear and can only vent their hatred to the Jigoku Shoujo site, we eventually realize several ways in which hatred and revenge can take, and how sometimes it's all actually unfair.

Although strongly focused on the plot of each episode and their 'revenge' (quite episodic), Jigoku Shoujo is actually an allegory about revenge and forgiveness. The story is kind of loose and each episode does not have too much connection to the other until around episode 8 (of the first season) when two characters (who would eventually became the main characters at the first season) start researching Jigoku Shoujo activities and get into the main plot. They try to understand and stop Jigoku Shoujo from her revenge 'spree', but in the meanwhile, both characters have different opinions on what is going on. While one is against revenge at all costs, the other doesn't see what is wrong on sending bad people to hell. However, things start to get complicated as questions such as 'will Jigoku Shoujo send anybody to hell or just the bad guys?' arise.

Conclusion

The latest episodes of the first season are all about connecting all the characters drama into one single dense plot in an amazing way, connecting Enma Ai (Jigoku Shoujo) to the main characters in a very touching plot, very dramatic and sad. The past of all characters are actually bound, and the truth about Jigoku Shoujo is finally revealed, and when that happens, only those who doesn't have a haeat will not realize the terrible drama that underlies these latest episodes, and the undescritible pain that the main characters go thru, specially as Ai takes souls to hell - some times souls that doesn't even have a clue for what they are being send to hell, and not even the viewer have a clue!

A profound and smart work that shows with very clear concepts that no matter how hatred, no matter how wrong other peoples are, this does not justify your own wrong doing, and therefore, you realize that Jigoku Shoujo have all the reason and right to claim the souls of those who sent someone to hell thru her help, as they too committed a grave crime. As the title goes, eventually we start asking ourselves if the wrong people are not the ones that are being sent to hell (since in a way or another, once they die, they would go to Hell anyway), but actually those who opt for revenge.

With a extremely sad and involving ending (at both seasons), which promises a lot of tears for the viewers that can empathize with the pain, suffering and affliction of all the characters, this is one of the best Human-nature animes you will ever find.

The second season follows up exactly where the first season left, but adds a lot of extra bonus: Jigoku Shoujo Futakomori manages to be even more meaningfull and indepth, and is absolutelly a must for any Jigoku Shoujo fans. Besides, the second season explored a lot about the past and reasons of Ai's 3 helpers, as well adding an explendid definite ending for the plot.

When you complete BOTH seasons, don't miss our essay on this title. You might get surprised by some details that are so subtle most people miss.

NOTE: The first half of the series is indeed quite episoidic and loose, but they are an important part for the correct understanding of the final part and the message about 'revenge' and 'forgiveness' - the main theme of this title - so bear with it even if you fell they are empty repetitive episodes.